Trator of said henry



(No Model.)

H. O. OOOK, Decd.

J. M. HICKS, Admimstrator. COMBINATION RAILWAY TIE AND SLEEPER.

N0. 437,812. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

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COOK, OF IVYOMING, NEIV JERSEY; JAMES M. HICKS ADMINIS- TRATOR OF SAID HENRY O. COOK, DECEASED.

COMBINATION RAILWAY TIE AND SLEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,812, dated October 7, 1890.

Application filed June 2'7, 1887. Renewed July 22,

1889. Again renewed April 2, 1890. Serial No. 3%,312. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY O. COOK, of Wyoming, county of Essex, and State of New J er sey, have invented and made a certain Combination Railway Tie and Sleeper, which is new and useful; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description and specification of the same, reference being had to the drawings making part thereof.

I am aware that railway-ties have before my invention been made of metal and wood and other elastic and semi-elastic materials; but I am not aware that, before my present invention, any form of combined tie and what is known as a sleeper, running in the same direction as the rail and underneath said rail, has ever been made, to be used in blocks of convenient lengths,as a tie and sleeper combined in one, so as to be used practically in substitution for the old wooden cross-tie, and convenient for the same purposes.

To this end my invention consists in such a device, fully set forth in this schedule, and claimed at the end thereof.

In order that persons skilled in the art may understand, construct, and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it, referring to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of two of my combined ties and sleepers in position with the rails secured upon them, one of the sleeperblocks being left out to show a top view of the part where the wood rests in the cross-tie, and a part of the rail broken away. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the track-rail, showing an end view of the sleeper-blocks on which the track-rails rest, and the other parts of the angle-irons of which this cross-tie is preferably made.

a are the longitudinal strips, bars, or angleirons, running crosswise of the track when laid in place.

I) are the rails upon which the cars run.

0 are the sleeper-blocks, which support the rails 17.

d and c are the cross angle irons, Which are fastened either permanently or adj ustably to cross angle irons a, so as to form a socket in which the sleepers 0 rest. These angle-irons d and e receive the side-thrust, and hold the track rails from either spreading apart or from closing together from any side strain. f are the spikes which hold the rails to the sleeperblocks. The whole structure is embedded beneath the surface and properly t-amped under the sleeper-blocks and between the angle-iron cross-bars and the angle-irons which hold the said sleepers in place.

This construction makes a very good and practical structure of roadbed and track. It is easier to make a solid well-tamped roadbed than by the present system. It is the cheapest method of making a combination road-bed as a substitute for the present one. It is more lasting and durable, less liable to derangement, and easily constructed by any railway company on its own premises, and by ordinary mechanical skill old rails can be used in place of the cross longitudinal angle irons or bars reversed-that is, bottom up. The sleepers can be removed and changed without disturbing the angle-iron cross-bars, which is a material point and effects a great saving of labor. It is also a saving of nearly one-half the number of cross-ties now used, as by running the rail-support or sleepers in the same direction as the rails a better and broader or longer support is supplied and less number of supports are required. As the cross-tie angle-irons are beneath the surface of the railway-bed, the movement of them up and down, as is now the case with wooden ties above the ground, is lessened and a great saving of dust from passing trains accrues.

There are many other advantages which it is unnecessary to state, but which are equally important and render this invention of great practical importance to the public. Of course I do not confine myself to the use of angleiron, as any form of cross bars, plates, or pipes maybe used; but I have shown and described what I now consider the most practicable and available construction and best approved by railway officials.

The sleepers may be made of any elastic or semi-elastic material of equivalent value for wood.

The angle=irons (Z and 6 may extend up above the wooden sleeper and turn in under the crown of the rail to act as a support to the rail additional to the sleeper and help to keep IOC the surfaces of the rails at the joints level. In

this case the ordinary binding-strap would be arranged as shown, to firml combined with these angle-pieces and be riveted through the rails, as is now done.

Having now fully described my invention 5. and the manner in which I have embodied it,

yholdand support [0 blocks of wood 0 upon and crosswise of said tie-bars a, all constructed and combined together to form a railway tie and sleeper, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. what'I claim as new, and desire to secure by HENRY O. COOK. Letters Patent, is Witnesses:

The cross tie-bars a, secured together upon JAMES M. HICKS, their uppersurfaces by abutment-bars d and e, EUGENE WVILTSE. 

